Dan Deacon

Welcome to the latest edition of Pitchfork's Guest List. Each week, we ask one of our favorite artists to fill us in on what they've been up to lately: which tracks they can't stop spinning, what books they can't put down, and what new bands they've caught on tour. This week it's Dan Deacon, who praises an Isley Brothers song that never goes out of style, divulges a bit about Baltimore's raw dairy black market, and describes one of the most elaborate "ringtones" ever devised for a land line phone. >> Favorite Songs of the Past Year

Santa Dads: "Second Beast Dog" "Second Beast Dog" is an amazing, amazing piece. It has to be my favorite new song. Josh Kelberman and Connor Kizer have created an entirely new sound with their instrumentation of voice, ukulele, vocal percussion, and brass. The recording of this on their album Anima Mundi is modern masterpiece.

Height [ft. Jackson of Grand Buffet]: "Bad Weather" This will be soundtrack to my summer. Its impossible to not want a huge porch and oversized dollar sign sunglasses while listening to this wicked rap gem.

Eats Tapes: "Face Shredder" The title describes the song perfectly.

Lizz King: "Til They Do" It's so simple and honest. I saw her perform it once in Brooklyn in front of a noisy crowd, and by the end of the song the entire room was silent and fixated on her amazing voice.

>> Favorite Older Songs at the Moment

Raymond Scott: "Night and Day" Hands down my favorite piece of electronic music. This song is like listening to colors. Its the most beautiful and surreal pop song I've ever heard. Most best forever.

Boredoms: "Super Going" It's rad as hell. The whole Super æ album is amazing but this track stands out as the diamond amongst gold.

Conlon Nancarrow: "Canon X (Study No. 21)" The first time I heard this it actually felt like my brain was melting. I had no idea music like this even existed. It changed my life and the way I hear sound.

Lucky Dragons: "Mercy" It's perfect. He [Luke Fischbeck] is a personified cloud, a young wizard. This song is proof. It's so awesome.

Isley Brothers: "Shout" The extended version, by the Isley Brothers, is a masterpiece. What an unstoppable monster of a song this is. I've never been at a party where this song came on and everyone didn't erupt into dance, every time without fail. Call and response is something that I think is lacking too much in modern party music. Yelling.

I've also been listening to "Rollout" by Ludacris on repeat all day. I wish I had, like, 35 dogs and a huge floating orb.

>> Favorite New Band

Air Waves Nicole Schneit is an amazing songwriter. The music she writes is like a favorite blanket wrapped around you. Drummer Dave Ferraro complements her songs well. "Shine On" is my current favorite song by them.

>> Favorite Song Ever

"The Happy Birthday Song"

>> Best Recent Concert

Athletic Automaton @ The Depot, Baltimore They played this dance party on my birthday and it was just unreal. It was like watching two warring kings rampage. The Depot is a small bar that mainly has only DJs or dance party type bands, so I was worried about how they would go over, but they totally killed it best. Actual magic. Like a living sword.

>> Last Great Film I Saw

Jimmy Joe Roche: How to Make a Toothbeef Sandwich It's a short video piece that is astounding. He's been showing it recently in Baltimore, and hopefully he'll be touring again this summer.

>> Last Great Book I Read

Dina Kelberman: A It's an amazing little book that came out about a year ago. It can't be more than 1" x 1". Her work is a magic treasure waiting to be found.

>> Favorite Piece of Musical Equipment

Casiotone MT-400V I really like my Wavetek 180 signal generator. It's really been the most fun thing, but I guess it's only fun through other pedals. As a stand alone instrument you can't do that much with it, since it's just one droning square wave. But that paired up with the Line6 delay pedal has been my favorite piece in the world. But I guess…a nice Casiotone is always an endless mammoth of sound that can be fun. Especially the MT-400V, which is the one that I've been using for the longest and that's my favorite piece of gear that I have.

And if anyone has the filter, microphone adapter, I would love to trade something for it. I don't have it. Anyone? Please?

>> Favorite Record Store

True Vine Records, Baltimore They have an nice collection of hard-to-find contemporary classical records, the largest CD-R/self-made section of any store I've been to and unlike most awesome record stores, their staff is really friendly. They have this Nancarrow record I have to buy. I hope it's still there.

I got a bunch of tapes there by this guy Narwhalz, out of Richmond. And it was before I knew that I knew who Narwhalz was. I got these tapes, and I thought, "Oh, this guy's ripping off Brian so hard." But it ended up being Brian, so it was great.

>> Best Purchase of the Past Year

Three gallons of raw milk, a quart of raw cream, a pound of raw butter, and a quart of raw yogurt. In Baltimore. We'd buy it through this...I don't know how to describe it other than this underground, black-market food club. It's really delicious. It's like the most delicious food in the world. And raw dairy is illegal in most states to sell even though it's completely insane that it's illegal; it's so good for you. Yeah, that's definitely been the best purchase I've made in the past year. It was so good. You can make delicious milkshakes and they're so tasty. Real/raw milk forever.

>> Best Thing I Did This Year

The Wham City Round Robin tour in September. It was 20 bands, 40 people, two days each city. Each day 10 bands would set up in a circle with the audience in the center. We would play one song each per round and do 4 rounds total. Touring with that many friends was amazing. It was like being in a circus. I can't wait until we do it again this fall, hopefully across the country.

>> Favorite Music Venue

This is tough. If I had to choose it would either be between the Werehouse in Winston-Salem, NC or the Pilot Light in Knoxville, TN. Both places are run by amazing people. They take pride in what they do and they've both created amazing touring havens that I long to return to. All promoters and venue owners should study under Jason at the Pilot Light and the squad at the Werehouse.

>> Favorite TV Show

"The Ed Schrader Show" It's a talk show in Baltimore that's like watching a car crash turn into ten thousand birds. Ed Schrader's catch phrase, "Check Out My Stipe Dick," has become a popular tag for many touring bands. His "Oh My God" guy is fucking amazing.

>> Favorite Radio Show

Talk Radio programs about the Amero and how the American dollar is worthless and we are all fucked. They scare the shit out of me but also give me hope knowing that money is just a farce and the world will soon be over. 2012.

>> Favorite Video Game

"Tetris"

>> My Ringtone

I don't have a cellphone. When I had a room with a phone in it it was hooked up to one of those things that turns the lights on and off when the phone rang. For a while I had it hooked up to all the huge spot lights and amplifiers so when the phone rang it was huge blinding blasts of light and feedback. Land lines forever.